Congressman Diane Black believes the countrys spending problem to be Medicare related, she said at a reception hosted by the Lebanon-Wilson Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.

People say all the time, it is because of foreign aid. But foreign aid is about .02 percent. Our greatest driver of our debt is Medicare, she said, adding that the system does not need to be cut, simply reformed.

Black said that when the system was established in 1965, for every one beneficiary, there were nine workers putting into the pot, so-to-speak. The average age then was 67 for males and 69 for females. People were only on for two to five years, she said.

However, nowadays there are only three workers per one beneficiary and Black pointed out people are living much longer. We see 100-year-old birthdays all over the place and ten thousand baby boomers are retiring each day and coming into the system, she said. You gotta have something for the younger people who are putting in now. Right now we are leaving these kids with so much debt.

Cumberland University President Dr. Harvill Eaton was in attendance at the meeting and praised Black for her detailed explanation. You are a superstar at articulating issues, he said, before joking that she should take a job at Cumberland after this gig is over.

While visiting the district, Black also stopped for a luncheon at Bluegrass Country Club in Hendersonville. The event was hosted by the Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce.